Downloads of the Week

Prince and 3rdEyeGirl

“PretzelBodyLogic”

★★½

The latest rebirth of Prince is upon us. Following his appearance on the post-Super Bowl episode of “New Girl,” the Minnesotan has offered a taster of his first album with the all-girl rock trio 3rdEyeGirl (due in the spring), and this growling, rock ’n’ roll freakout indicates that he’s putting the funk to one side for a spell.

U2

“Invisible”

★½

For a few fleeting seconds of their new song, U2 gets alarmingly close to doing something interesting. But once the opening, Danger Mouse-produced beats subside, “Invisible” (intended as a sneak preview of their forthcoming 13th album) soon succumbs to the sound of Bono’s overly earnest voice and The Edge’s ringing guitar. It’s not an unpleasant sound, just crushingly familiar.

Nicole Atkins

“Girl You Look Amazing”

★★½

With her third album, “Slow Phaser,” local girl Nicole Atkins is moving away from her folk-singer reputation, and the funky single “Girl You Look Amazing” shows her decision was a good one. A sultry, sexy bass line hides the story of a good-time girl slipping slowly into the abyss. “In the gutter/you discover/all the things you miss,” sings Atkins. It sounds like she knows what she’s talking about.

Toni Braxton and Babyface

“Roller Coaster”

★★

Forget the ’90s comeback, because for Toni Braxton and Babyface, it sounds as though the decade never actually went away. Their collaboration album, “Love, Marriage & Divorce,” is awash with classic R&B such as this velvety ballad, but unless the last CD you bought was the “Boomerang” soundtrack, it is going to feel too dated to take seriously.

Albums of the Week

Broken Bells

“After the Disco”

★★★

‘After the Disco” is definitely not an arbitrary title. On their second album, Broken Bells (a combination of hip-hop producer Danger Mouse and Shins singer James Mercer) explore late-night melancholia — but the duo have also hidden some great grooves and melodies inside the darkness. The sound of ’80s synths and Mercer’s falsetto make “Holding On for Life” sound like the Bee Gees going through a new wave phase, while the poisonous relationship described in “Control” is catchy enough to pass for an undiscovered Hall & Oates track. The whimsical psychedelics of “Lazy Wonderland” don’t quite fit so well in the album’s flow, but it’s a brief lull in what is otherwise a quietly impressive comedown soundtrack. When the party stops, Broken Bells get to work — and they do their job very well.

Mary Lambert

“Welcome to the Age of My Body”

★★

Thanks to the Grammy-winning exploits of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Seattle singer-songwriter Mary Lambert is also coming to national attention. Newly signed to Capitol Records, her latest four-track EP boasts the beautifully sung “She Keeps Me Warm,” which provided the hook for the rap duo’s gay-marriage anthem “Same Love.” But the other tracks show her consciousness and personal anguish go much deeper. You can hear genuine vulnerability on the otherwise unremarkable piano ballad “Sarasvati,” and on the finale of “Body Love Part 2,” Lambert attempts to bolster female self-image through the spoken word. “You are worth more than your waistline,” she states, as her voice almost cracks with emotion. It can be a tough listen, but that is most definitely the idea.